Variety (December 1907)

96 VARIETY OOK AND LIS TO WHAT THE CRITICS FROM COAST TO COAST SAY OF M Y U Y fa MATTHEW WHITE, Jr.'* ORIGINAL OHE-AOT PLAY Booked for Seventy Weeks by United Booking Offleet Staged by NIRRY LEONHARDT NOT AN ADVERSE CRITICISM WHAT MEW YORK SAYS: May Tally's sketch, "Stop. Look and Listen," hag become a vaudeville classic. One can readily understand why Miss Tully is so anxious to appear In the play which Mr. White Is writing. It is along amusing and original lines and its main idea la a real novelty. Miss Tully haa an excellent opportunity to ahow that she is a comedienne of fine ability. She has a luxuriant line of slang. and also takes occasion to give her Imitations. Her take-off of Ethel Barrymore was well-nigh perfect.—Theodore D. Rousseau in the "Morning Telegraph." Miss Tully makes her individual bow to vaudeville in a decidedly clever sketch. In the part of a stranded "barnstormer" she has a quantity of exceedingly bright lines and some plctnresque slang. In everything she did Miss Tully showed ability of an unusual order, being endowed with an exceedingly attractive personality and a speaking voice of exquisite quality. Her Imitations of Ethel Barrymore, Mrs. Carter and Marie Cahlll were well enough done to merit serious notice.—Rush in "Variety." May Tully and Company presented a new and particularly enter- taining little aketch which proved Just the right kind of a com- bination of humor and pathos splendidly acted by Miss Tully and her assistants. Miss Tully gave some clever Imitations, which were warmly applauded, and near the finish of the sketch, where she acts an lmlglnary scene to Impress the girl to whom she la giving advice, ahe rose to real heights of emotional expression. The act is one of the best of its kind.—Henry Olt In the "Clipper." May Tully and her company in "Stop, Look and Listen" was the bit at Keith's last night. The playlet la one of the best seen ou the vaudeville stage in a long time.—"American." This sketch, which shows a stranded actress at a railroad sta- tion Influencing a stage struck country maid to stick to her cows and her lover, la proving even more popular in its second season than it did in the first. Miss Tully's impersonation of the actress walking the ties la a breesy bit of natural acting, with two Imi- tations of Mrs. Carter and Ethel Barrymore thrown in. to say nothing of an admirable bit of emotional acting. The sketch was originally a magazine story, and is now being amplified Into a four act comedy. It was through this process that Miss Rose Stahl's play, "The Chorus Lady," was evolved, and there la every indi- cation that "Stop, Look and Listen" will follow the happy lead of its predeceaaor.—Oeorge Henry Payne in "The Evening Telegram." Miss Tully la one of the few actresses on the vaudeville stage to-day who combines talent, ability and power. She baa an excel- lent sense of humor, a robust voice and an engaging temperament. She la also versatile and haa the knack of expressing deep emo- tion that some of our leading ladles ought to copy.—"The Evening Mail." May Tully came back to the bouse In which ahe scored her first success and was afforded a very hearty welcome. She ap- peared In Matthew White's little play. "Stop. Look and Listen" and compelled attention by the force and versatility of her efforts. It only remains for some really shrewd manager to "discover" Miss Tully, when she will be heralded as one of the very few actresses with talent out of the ordinary.—"Dramatic Mirror." WHAT BOSTON SATS: One of the notable numbers on the varied bill at Keith's this week Is a short one-act play entitled "Stop, Look and Listen," written by Matthew White, Jr., and acted by May Tully and her company. Miss Tully as the actress appeala keenly to the audience, and the pathoa of some of her speeches about the player'a dal'.y round had almost the same effect on her hearers as It did on the simple minded girl to whom the warnings were given.— "Tranacrlpt." There is a little one-act play at Keith's this week called "Stop. Look and Listen" that in the course of twenty-five minutes gives the audience all the pleasure to be derived from a drama in three or four acts and occupying the best part of an evening. It is. in fact, a drama In miniature. The artful combination of pathos and comedy in a piece that entertains from first to last makes "Stop, Look and Listen" an ideal number on a vaudeville program. The play is Admirably acted by Miss Tully and two assistants. —"Journal." An entertaining playlet which treats of a country girl and her idea of the stage. The story la interesting as well as entertain- ing, has a good moral lesson, and shows well the ability of Miss Tully, one moment as a comedienne, and the next as an emotional actress. Her presentations of the manner in which Ethel Barry- more and Mrs. Leslie Carter would sing "Waiting at the Church" were Immense hits.—"Post." May Tully, in her unique sketch gives remarkable Impersona- tions of Mrs. Carter and Ethel Karrymore, with Just a touch of emotional acting that reveals unusual talent.—"American." "Stop, Look and Listen" is full of surprises, dramatic situations and laughs. As a vehicle for Introducing the talent of Miss Tully nothing better could have been selected, and nothing has been seen in the Hub for many moons, which, from a dramatic standpoint, far outranks this tabloid drama with the railroad name—"Herald." WHAT PHILADELPHIA BAYS: The sketch baa real dramatic quality, and Miss Tully Up the role of a stranded actress shows' sentiment, feeling, emotion and a sense of humor, all controlled and directed by a hlstrlonlsm that Is nssurcd and sincere. -"Evening Telegraph." Misa May Tully, who Is an accomplished emotional actreaa, es- sayed the leading role of an actreaa who had been stranded and waa wending her devious way to the Rlalto by the tie route. The sketch la an object lesson for fair. It won the favorable opinion of the audiences yesterday and should have a career that would last for ages. Miss Tully is a clever woman.—"Inquirer." Miss Tully la a wonder—a real acquisition to the vaudeville stage. She acted wonderfully well, and richly deserved all the applause she got, and there waa lots of It.—"North American." WHAT SAN FRANCISCO SAYS. May Tully portrays her character so dramatically that the scene la a good one for any stage-struck girl to see. It haa a great deal of truth In it and this truth is presented in a method that la likely to be more effective than plain statements or sermons would be.—Winan in "The Examiner." , WHAT WASHINGTON SAYS: May Tully and her company, in an interesting one-act play, "Stop, Look and Listen," by Matthew White, Jr., gave as clever a bit of acting as haa been seen on the vaudeville stage here in a long time.—"Poet." Mlaa Tully shows marked ability and works hard. She haa a clever one act sketch by Matthew White, Jr., editor of "The Argosy" and the dramatic editor of "Munsey's Magazine." The play Is bright and realistic.—"Times." No error in discernment waa committed when the Orpheum man- i agers selected may Tully for topllne distinction this week. Her performance redeema the majority of the eulogistic forewords pledged in her behalf. It almost convicts the press agent of modesty in bis bestowal of laudatory adjectives.—James Crawford in the "Call." A clever travesty on the alluring lights of Broadway, and the hit of the evening.—"Bulletin." WHAT BUFFALO SAYS: Miss May Tully Is giving a most unusual vaudeville sketch at Shea's this week. Her work presages a certain future as an emo- tional actress of the strongest calibre.—"Times." May Tully from Life. Specially Drawn by Bert Levy. WHAT PITTSBURG SAYS: A clever sketch, which not only preaches a much-needed sermon for stage-struck girls, but also gives May Tully an Opportunity to prove bow clever an actress she Is. She entertains and amuses all the time, and her straight work evinces unusual native power and discretion.—"Gazette-Times." May Tully and her company of two others have another of the biggest hits called "Stop, Look and Listen." Miss Tully Is a delightful actress, versatile and vividly real In her portrayal of the stranded actress at a country crosaroads. Her impersonations were especially clever and throughout the piece she gave new evidence of histrionic equipment.—"Dispatch." May Tully Is an emotional actress and a portrayer of feminine character who represents the new departure In vaudeville offer- ings. Nothing quite like that which she attempts, with credit to herself and the author of her playlet, has ever been seen here before.—"Leader." May Tully and Company come to the fore with an altogether charming little sketch entitled "Stop, Look and Listen." With Its clever monologue, the playlet gives Miss Tully an opport unity to demonstrate her histrionic ability In a striking manner. "Press." Misa May Tully was the dramatic class of the bill and she scored big In an original oue-act aketch which waa a well bal- anced blending of humor and pathos by Matthew White, Jr. As the actreaa Misa Tully showed remarkable talent. She was sympathetic and lovable when the part required it, and then again she appeared in the natural roughness of the hardened woman who is worldly wise.— "Chronicle." WHAT DETROIT BAYS: A tiny picture from theatrical life revealing a sidelight on the profession seldom caught by the layman and with a good lesson for stage-struck girls.—"Journal." The wise and wary have long since grown skeptical of the press agent's advance rhapsodies. This time his praise for Mia.s May Tully waa only faint shadow of the truth.—"Free Press." The honors of the present week's offering really belong to May Tully, who puts on a clever bit of comedy In the sketch called "Stop, Look and Listen." It makes a noise like a railroad cross- ing and it really is a bright and snappy story. — "Times." WHAT LOS ANGELES SAYS: They're ao scarce—real works of art -that you must take off your hat when one goes by. This Is only a vaudeville aketch. But the girl in it! Her name is May Tully. She is more than an actress; something delicate and rare; s woman satirist; a vivisectlonist of her own kind—of nctorines. In the sketch Miss Tully is so true to life, so genuine In her humor, so touching In her pathos, so manifestly real In every gesture, that the whole is a work of vivid present day dramatic art such as the Orpheum stage has not seen in at least a year. Miss Tully would be worth going to see If the rest of the bill were unutterable. -"Times." WHAT CLEVELAND SAYS: See May Tully! She's worth It. May Tully is one of the few and vaudeville is Immensely enriched by the acquisition of this versatile actress. The sketch is closed with a rare hit of emo- tional actlong which silenced onlookers into a tearful tensity.— "News." WHAT NEW ORLEANS SAYS: In impersonations, light comedy and emotional work May Tully is without doubt the cleverest wojBan who has been at the Or- pheum this year. Her work is handled with that skill and tech nique that is usually expected from the greater stellar lights of the stage of whom we read for months before their appearance.— "Harlequin." One of the most artistic bits of acting that lias been seen at the St. Charles In some time is offered there this week by Miss May Tully In her character playlet, "Stop, Look and Listen."— "Times-Democrat." WHAT SYRACUSE BAYS: There Is a new act at Keith's which compels more attention from students of the stage than is usual and accents the advice that if you wish to keep up to the minute you must watch the vaudeville. Thla is Matthew White's "Stop, Look and Listen," which he has so cleverly written around Miss May Tully's talents. Not a thing la pitchforked upon the stage or drugged on with n lariat. Juat so surely as the actress goes back to Broadway, ro does thla act go back to the good old days when honest stuff was demanded In playlets. -"Journal." Punctuating the laughing and eye-opening numliers on the bill this week Is a playlet ("Stop, I,ook and Listen"! which so pleas- ingly combines comedy and pathos and is so sympathetically Inter- preted as to make It one of the most enjoyable vaudeville sketches presented here this reason. The piece is breezily written and contains some clever hits on stage life, with occasional touches of the real thing In sentiment and an opportunity for the dlplay of a bit of strong dramatic and an opportunity for the display of a bit of strong dramatic work. Miss May Tully makes a decided hit as the actress. She Is bright and breezy in the lighter parts, puts the requisite amount of feeling Into the serious lines and In the strongly dramatic scene sfie is forceful and convincing. Her impersonations of Mrs. Leslie Carter, Ethel Barrymore and an East Side girl singing "Waiting at the Church" are enthusiastically received..—"Post- Standard." WHAT ROCHESTER SAYS: Miss Tully Is an actress of unusual attainments and resource and mistress of many branches of her art.—"Democrat." Miss Tully presents an electrifying bit of emotional acting In her skit, "Stop. !/>ok and Listen."—"Union Advertiser." When answering advertisements kindly mention Vabhcty.